Method of and apparatus for rolling rounds



Jan. 11, 1938. QMALLEY 2,105,258

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING ROUNDS Filed Nov. 27, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet l lrurenfor Jos h m. Umalley Jan.11,1938. I J Q'MALLEY 2,105,258

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING ROUNDS Fil ed Nov. 27, 19:53 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Irufgmior Joseph m. Omalley w Ara/ Attorney Jan. 11, 1938: J. M. OMALLEY METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING ROUNDS Filed Nov. 27, 1953 '5 Shets-Sheet 5 \fluehior xii 0%? m. O'malley hgrneg Jan. 11, 1938. J. M. OMALLEY 2,105,258

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FQR ROLLING ROUNDS k Filed Nov. '27, 1933 5. Sheets-Sheet 4 r WW 4a Joseph m. omau 2533 Attorney Jgn. 11, 1938. J. M. OMALLEY 2,105,258

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR ROLLING-ROUNDS 7 Filed Nov. '27, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 5' W (h 20 '1 2a 11 l 50' Ii v f? l I32 v lnunior Joseph m. O malley Patented Jan; 11, 1 938 PATENT OFFICE.

mirnon or am) APPARATUS roa ROLL- 4 mo aomvns Joseph M. OMalley, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Morgan Construction Company, Worcester,

Man. a corporation of Massachusetts Application November-27 193s, serial No. 699,823

12 Claims.

The present invention contemplates improvements upon the process and apparatus of Edwards Patent No. 1,193,001, of August 1, 1916, in the precision rolling of metal bars of circular cross section, known as rounds".-

In the arrangement proposed by said Edwards patent, the usual final and finishing roll stands'of a mill for the rolling of'roun'ds are supplemented by an additional sizing unit, providing both vertical and horizontal rolls, the same being arranged to receive the slightly-oversize round at a considerable distancefrom the mill. Such an arrangement, besides being wasteful of space, is extremely costly from the stand point of the extra equipment needed for the driving of the twosets .of precision of'sizing rolls;-furthermore, since sired, their removal from the housing of the pre-- the stock approaches these added final finishing and sizing rolls with a section that is approxi- -mately round, there can be no adequate positional control of said stock section, to prevent it from turning on its axis' in its approach to and passage through sucli'added stands of rolls.

The present invention overcomes all of these disadvantages. ing and finishing of the stock bymeans of associated horizontal-and vertical rolls that are contained in a roll housing adapted to replace, as

an entirety, the usual last stand of finishing rolls of the mill; thus the precision sizing apparatus, instead of being an. appendage of the mill,- becomes actually a part of the mill, being seconstructed and located; that the existing driving devices and connections for the usual final roll stand of the mill are readily applicable for the driving of its containedhorizontal rolls. To the latter the stock, of the usual fiat oval or ellipti cal section produced by the last-but-one of the regular-mill roll stands, is'delivered through appropriate side guides which efiectually resist the strong tendency of such section to turn down"; by the close cooperative action of the horizontal and vertical rolls, as hereinafter described, the stockemerging from this precision sizing unit that replaces the last usual orregular roll stand of the mill, acquires an accuracy and uniformity of section not heretofore obtainable with continuous high speed rolling.

My invention further provides a novel and highly advantageous mounting for the vertical rolls and their driving instrumentalities, by which to facilitate their adjustment in and, when decision sizing unit. Other and further-objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description It provides for the precision sizing drawings, inwhich- Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan ,view of aconventional arrangement of rolling mill apparatus for ,the production of rounds.

Fig. 1a is a view similar to Fig. l, but showing the replacement of the final finishing roll stand ,by the precision sizing unit of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of the successive changes in cross section which the stock undergoes in the precision sizing unit of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of said precision sizingunit.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view, partly in section, on the line 5--5-0f Fig. 6, showing the vertical roll assembly. 1 y

'1 Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5:" vv I Fig. 7 is a vertical section on the line 1-1 of Fig. 8 is an end view of said vertical roll sembly. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view on the line. 9-9 of Fig. 5.

Like reference characters refer to like parts in the diiIerent figures.

In Fig. 1 is shown a succession of horizontal.

,stands of rolls I, 2 and 3, the same representing according to my invention, by a special precision sizing unit, designated as a whole by thenumeral 5, and embodying cooperating stands of horizontal and vertical rolls; the preferred construction of this unit 5 is as follows:--

' Referring first to Figs. 3 and 4, the numeral 6 represents the usual bed plate to which, in the conventional mill arrangement shown by'Fig. 1, wouldI-be fastened the housing of the final finishing stand 3 of said mill. To facilitate attache ment to this'bed plate, the base T of the housing for unit 5 is preferably of an appropriate size and form to fit said bed plate, as shown in Fig. 3. The opposite housing sides 8, 8, rising vertically placed by my special precision sizing unit are apfrom base 1, provide the usual windows 8, 8, wherein are received and retained any suitable bearings, not shown, for a pair of horizontal rolls II), III, extending transversely of the housing and each having a plurality of pass grooves II, II, as isv customary with horizontal rolls used in the production of rounds. It is to be understood that no departure from known or conventional rolling mill practice is required in respect of the mounting, retention, and adjustment of the rolls l0, III in the housing windows 9, 9; consequently the drawing, in the interests of simplicity, omits any showing of the roll bearings and their adjusting and retaining devices.

The rolls I0, Ill are so located within thehousing that they 'aline substantially with the driving connections, indicated at l2, l3 in Fig. 1, that are provided for the last roll stand 3 of the ordinary-finishing mill; in other words, the existing driving connections for the stand of rolls replicable to the drive of the horizontal rolls of said unit. Furthermore, it is to be noted by a comparison of Figs. 1 and 1a. that no changes are contemplated in the arrangement or operation of the preceding roll stands I and 2,the same or similar pass contours being employed in these preceding roll stands to produce ultimately the usual oval or elliptical stock section a that in both cases is delivered upright to the final finishing rolling operation, being maintained in such upright position by the usual receiving guide M, Fig. 3, which, as more clearly shown in the diagram of Fig. 2, provides appropriate contact surfaces l5, l5 for effectually resisting the strong tendency of the oval to turn down.

These guide surfaces l5, l5 very definitely fix and control the position of the stock section in its movement through the pass provided by a pair of cooperating grooves II in the horizontal rolls III, III, which pass, as hereinafter more particularly described, is deliberately made full" or oversize on the horizontal diameter of the section. Furthermore, these guide surfaces l5, l5 exert the same, or nearly the same, positional control on the stock in its passage between the pair of vertical rolls also provided by the precision sizing unit of my invention,-which vertical rolls with their appurtenant driving and adjusting devices will now be described in detail.

As best-shown in Fig. 3, each housing side 8 provides a forward extension I6 overhanging its base I, and in such extensions i6, I6 are provided the matching openings or windows ll, l'l. Extending transversely of the housing and fitted in the windows 11: H, for sliding movement on the surfaces l8, l8 thereof, is an elongated box or supplementary housing l9, containing the pair of vertical rolls 28, 28. Said box or supplementary housing 13 contains and supports the complete vertical roll assembly which, as a unit, is capable of being withdrawn by horizontal endwise movement from the windows l1, l1 for purposes of replacement or repair, and which, as hereinafter described, is subject to adjustment of position in said windows, transversely of the sizing unit 5, for the purpose of aiming the vertical roll pass 2| with any selected pair of pass grooves II in the horizontal rolls III, III.

The box or supplementary housing l8 provides end walls 22 and 23, sidewalls '24 and 25, and a bottom 28, the latter having an aperture 21 for the escape of the water and scale from the rolling operation. Within said box, and making a mug sliding fit with the side walls 24 and 25 caved, as shown at in Fig. 5, to receive, re-

spectively. an upper roll .neck bearing 3| and a lower roll neck bearing 32. Each upper-bearing 3|, as shown in Fig. '7, has lugs 33 for the passage of bolts 34 that secure the bearing to the block 28.

Each lower bearing 32 incorporates a bottom or step portion 35, against which rests the end of the iower roll neck, and from which extends a flange 36 that is received by a suitable recess 31 in the bottom surface of block 28. The bottom 26 of the auxiliary housing or box l8 has secured thereto a plate 88 which provides the oppositely inclined surfaces 38, 38, whereon wedges 40, 48 are arranged to be adjusted in or out, as by means of their threaded rods 4|, 4| projecting from the end walls 22 and 23 of the supplementary housing. These wedges 48, 40 underlie the step portions 35, of the lower bearings and through them support the blocks 28, 28.

By joint inward or outward adjustment of the wedges 40, 40, both blocks 28, 28, together with the vertical rolls 20, 20 and their bearings, can be either raised or lowered, as desired, to aline the vertical roll pass 2| with the pass of the horizontal rolls l8, l8. Furthermore, either wedge may be moved in or out as required, for raising or lowering its associated block 28 and roll 28, to position the pass grooves of the two rolls 28, 20 at exactly the same level. When the desired vertical adjustments of the rolls 20, 20 have been obtained, the blocks 28, 28 are rigidly fixed and held in their adjusted positions by means of vertically disposed wedges 42, 42 that are received in wedge-shaped slots 43 of each block, and bear against the side wall 25 of box l9. Each wedge 42 has a lateral extension 44 through which passes a bolt 45 projecting upwardly from said side wall 25. By means of nuts 46 on said bolt,

the wedge 42 can bevertically adjusted to provide the desired cooperationwith the horizontal wedge 48 in fixing and holding the associated block 28 and "ill 20 in any desired position of vertical adju: ment.

Each roll neck bearing 3|, 32 is preferably equipped with a liner 4! of suitable material, such as micarta,-the liner encircling the neck of the roll, but being broken away at an intermediate portion in its length to permit the neck to be contacted by a yieldingly-held shoe 48, the purpose of these shoes (two for each roll) being to seat the roll in its bearings 3|, 32 and to prevent any radial displacement of roll or bearings, relative to block 28, such as might occur when the stock undergoing reduction is initially entered in the pass 2|. To this end, each sho'e 48 is held against its associated roll neck by ayoke or strap 48,'the ends of the same being adjustably secured to the block 28 by rods 50 and 58', the latter being held yieldingly to its work by a spring 5| disposed in a recess 52 of the block. In this way, each vertical roll 28 is held firmly but yieldingly against the seat providedby its bearings 3 I, 32, in consequence of which the entrance of stock to the pass 2| may be effected without 'undueshock or strain on the apparatus;

For holding the rolls 28, 20 to their work, and maintaining the rolling pressure, the two blocks 28, 28 are each acted upon by a pair of thrust screws 53, 53, that work in suitably threaded bush ings 54,54 carried by the end walls 22 and 23 of the auxiliary housing'l9. To insure uniform motion of these thrust screws, in applying pressure to'the associated block, each screw carries a gear 55, and each pair oflgears 55 is in mesh with an operating pinion 56, journalledon a stud 51 projecting from the end wall 22 or 23. To prevent any play between each block 28 and its pressure screws 53, 53, a pair of rods 58, 58, having their heads 59, 59 received by a slot 68 of bracket 6| on the outer end of each block 28, project outwardly through holes 62 in-the end walls 22 and 23 and tracted, the associated block 28 will have a following movement. By. means of these head-receiving slots 68 and 65, the previously-described vertical adjustments of both blocks 28, 28 can be carried out, without effect on the functions of the rods 58, 58 and the pressure screws 53, 53.

Above their windows 11, ll, the housing side extensions l6, l6 support a horizontal transversev plate or frame 66, Figs. 3'and 4,the edgesof which provide ways or guides for a slide 68. Said slide 68 provides a gear inclosure 69, and on its upper portion supports an'electric motor 18 of suitable type, as hereinafter referred to, i'orjthe drive of the vertical rolls '28, 28. The shaft of motor 18, at its lower end within the inclosure 69, carries a pinion 1|, which is in mesh' with a gear 12 carried by a countershaft l3 suitably journallecl in said inclosure. The countershaft 13 also carries a smaller gear'llwhich meshes with and drives one of apair of companion equal-size intermeshing gears 15, 15, these latter being secured to a pair of shafts I6, 16, journalled in and projecting throughthe-bottom of slide 68, and substantially concentric with the pair of j vertical rolls 28, 28. Spindles TI, 11, each having'suitable cou-' plings' 18/, 19 with the shafts 1.6, 16 and'with the upper necks of rolls 28, 28, 'serve'to transmit to said rolls 28, 28 the rotationof shafts l6; "l6 obta'ined, through the from-driving motor 18;

gearing :above described, The couplings l 9, fl 9 'are "of va-suitable telescopic form -.we1l known-in the art to permit, when desired, the previously-described vertical adjustment of either or both of the verticalrolls 28,28. 1 f

By mounting the entire driving. mechanism for the rolls 28, 28 on the slide' 68, which is capable of being moved in parallel relation to the movement of the horror auxiliary'housing l 9, it is possible at alltimes to maintain-the axial alinement of the drive shafts 16,16 and the rolls 28, 28. That is to say, any transverse adjustment of the auxiliary housing I 9, for alining the pass 2| with-a selected "groove in'the horizontal rollsl8, 18, is accompanied by an equal transverse movement of the slide 68. To securesuch movements'gthe auxiliary housing l9, along one of: its edges, is provided 7 with arack88, and asimilar-rack 8| on the plate '66. Pinions and 83 in mesh, re.-

''spectively, with 'the.racks. 88 and 8.] are so arranged that the squared ends84, 84 of their shafts v work of reduction is imposed on the vertical rolls project outwardly to receive wrenches, orthe like, by'which to' turn said pinions simultaneously in the same direction, for impart-ing the-desired equal transverse motions to the;auxiliary housing 59 and to the slide 68. When these desired adjustand the slide, 68 by is provided ments have been made, the'two parts are then securely fixedand held in their adjusted positions,-thehousing l 9 by. the action of a suitable wedge 85 which is received in a horizontal slot 86, formed partly in wall'25 and partly in window l1,

means of any suitable clampingdevicefls q The above-described precision sizingunit 5 (replacing the usual last-finishing roll stand 3 of a conventional mill for rolling rounds), receives said mill the same, oval stock section a as would ordinarily be received by said roll stand3,and

there is the same provision, i. e. the receiving guide M, for presentingsaid oval section in upright position to the horizontal rolls l8, l8 of said sizing unit 5. However, the pass grooves 11,

' ll of these horizontal rolls, instead of providing,

like the roll stand 8, an exactly round pass, provide insteada pass which is deliberately "made slightly full, or oversize, as shown exaggeratedly at b, b, Fig. 2, along the partingof said rolls I8, l8, thus to produce a slightlyoval section 0, whose horizontal axis is longer than its, vertical axis by perhaps eight or nine thousandths of an .inch in a one inch piece of stock. In. this slightly oval section c, the vertical axis (a dimension a1 ways under the control of the operator by the screws 88 ofth'e upper horizontal roll l8) may be from the immediately-preceding,roll stands of usual expedient of adjusting theholding-down the same as the desired diameter'ofth'e, finished round, or may be very, slightly under such desired diameter, as indicate at d, d, Fig. 2, in order to make allowance forfany slight spread in this con nection, resulting from the action on' the'stock of the vertical rclls 28,128. j

A delivery guide 89, adjacent the rolls 60,18, and a receiving guide 98,adjacent the rolls 28,28, are preferably provided in the unit 5 forguidmg the slightly oval stocklsectiongcln its passage to the last-named rolls ,.these guides, however, being tubular or funnel-shaped and exercising practically nodomina'nce on the position of Ithejstock section, which latter, being so nearly round, is not susceptible to the exercise of such dominance by any engagingguide surfaces; However, the vertical rolls 28, 28 are. so close to the horizontal rolls l8, l8 in the precisionsizin'g unit5of1rnyinvention that the necessary positional dominance to keep the stockjiroin turning on its longitudinal axis in passingjromftherolls, l 9, t ,9 5 20. 20, isv amplyfurni'sh by "t smtances 1.5% 5 of guide I4,thus insuri the presgntationnbf the stock section c to the, vertical runs "20", 2o

such position that thematic-ra ns or the oval remains horizontal and "therefore, has directly'; exe i cisedthereon, in passf2l, the substantiallyiuniform rolling pressure that corrects thisojve'r'size dimension of; the stock section, I At the same time,

any undersize condition on the otheraxis'of stock section 0 is automatically corrected by the: spread factor which, in'thi's case/is effective along 'j'the, parting. of the vertical rolls 28, 28 1toeliniinate' the slightly flattened portionsd, cl, ,In this way,

the stock in its passage,by'the action ther'eon'of' the cooperating passesprovided thej two sets of rolls I 8, l8. anq'zo, .2o; s given the accurately dimensioned andfexactl'y round section shown'at e inF-ig.2.. w v,

' It is to be noted that only a smalljamountof the 28, 28. Consequently, the motor, lll for driving these rolls may beat very small capacity. This motor is preterablyjone thathas', a drooping characteristic,-'-that is the a vertical' rolls would pull of such rolls on the stock is very light, thus avoiding anypossibility of deformation of the stock by tension thereon.

The provision of the vertical rolls in a removable supplementary housing, as above described, permits said rolls to be assembled in their entirety and properly positioned and adjusted before the assembly is mounted in the main housing.

Furthermore, the separate drive mechanism for,

such vertical rolls, and its adjustability in the main housing, permits said rolls to be alined selectively with any one of the plurality of passes provided by the horizontal rolls,-the drive mechanism being readily adjustable to conform to the selected position of the rolls 20, 20.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for the rolling of precision rounds,

from stock which is presented in substantially oval cross-sectional shape to the final rolling operation, said apparatus cdmprising horizontal reducing rolls providing a pass which isjslightly "iull horizontally, a restraining guide in advance of said horizontal rolls to maintain the oval section upright in its presentation to said pass, and vertical rolls providing another pass immediately adjacent said first pass, to which other pass the stock is delivered by said first pass with no restraint other than 'that provided by said guide which presents it to the first pass. 2. In the production of precision finish rolling and sizing in a pair of alined, substantially round, closely adjacent reducing passes substantially at right angles to each other, the improvement which consists in presenting the stock to such pair of passes with its section in el liptical form, and holding the stock from turning on its axis, during such finish rolling and sizing, by guideengager'nent only with such elliptical section.

3. Apparatus for the precision rolling of "rounds, comprising, in combination, a finish rolling and sizing unit composed of'two pairs of reducing rolls having aline'd, substantially round passes in immediate juxtaposition and substantially at right angles to each-other, a preceding stand offrolls which presents the stock-to said Y unit with a cross section of elliptical form, and

a receiving guide associated with said unit, and operating on said elliptical section as the sole means to prevent the stock, in its passage through said unit, from turning on its axis.

4. Apparatus for the precision rolling of rounds, comprising, in combination, a finish rolling and sizing unit composed of two pairs of reducing rolls having alined, substantially round passes in immediate juxtaposition and substantially at right angles to each other, a preceding .stand of rolls which presents the stock to said unit with a cross section of elliptical form, a receiving guide associated with said unit, and operating on said elliptical section as the solemeans to prevent the stock, in its passage through said unit, from turning on its axis, said finish rolling and sizing unit being provided as a replacement for the usual last horizontal roll stand of the 1 mill, and having one'pair of its reducing rolls associated with the driving connections for such replaced horizontal roll stand, and the other pair housing and its rolling and sizing unit composed of two pairs of reducing rolls having alined, substantially round passes in immediate juxtaposition and substantially at right angles to each other, a preceding stand of rolls which presents the stock to said unit with a cross section of elliptical form, a re-- ceiving guide associated with said unit, and operating on said elliptical section as the sole means to prevent the stock, in its passage through said unit, from turning on its axis, said finish rolling and slang unit having a mainhousing which is adapted to replace the roll housing of the usual last stand of horizontal rolls of a finishing mill, and having one pair of its reducing rolls associated with-the driving connections forsuch replaced horizontal stand, an auxiliary housing adjustably and removably mounted in said main housing, the other pair of reducing rolls of said unit being mounted in said auxiliary housing, and having driving means carried by said unit and adjustable with said rolls.

6. The herein described method of rolling precision rounds", which consists in imparting to the stock, by conventional finishing mill rolling,

a pronounced elliptical cross section, subjecting such elliptical cross section to finish rolling and sizing in a pair of alined, substantially round closely adjacent reducing passes having their axes substantially at right angles, while restraining .said stock from axial turning movement in both plementary housing mounted in said main housing, a pair of vertical rolls carried by said supplementary housing. wedge means for vertically adjusting reach vertical roll in said supplementary housing, and means associated with each vertical roll, independently of the other roll of the pair, for eflecting its lateral adjustment, lengthwise of said housing, in-both directions.

8. In apparatus for the precision rolling of rounds, the combination with a main housing and a pair of horizontal rolls therein, of a supplemental-y housing mounted in said main housing and bodily withdrawable endwise therefrom, a pair of vertical rolls'carried' within said supplementary housing, dri devices for said vertical rolls mounted as a unit on said main housing, and detachable from said vertical rolls'to permit said bodily withdrawal of the supplementary contained vertical rolls, and means operable on said supplementary housing and on said roll driving device unit for effecting their horizontal adjustments simultaneously and in unison.

9. The method of producing precision rounds" comprldng the steps of rolling the stock into a pronounced elliptical cross-section, applying rollsection, applying rolling pressure to opposite 75.

- to deliver stock to the semi-final pass with a pronounced elliptical cross-section, and a receiving sides of the stock in the direction of the major axis 01 the slightly elliptical cross-section and thereby rolling the stock into a circular crosssection; and preventing rotation of the stock aboiit its axis by guiding the pronounced elliptical cross-section.

10. Apparatus for the precision roiling of rounds comprising a final roll pass shapedto deliver stock-with a circular cross-section, a semifinal roll pass immediately adjacent to the final pass and shaped to deliver stock with a crosssection which is very slightly elliptical, means rounds comprising a pair of vertical rolls forming a final pass and shaped .to deliver stock with a circular cross-section, a pair or horizontal rolls forming a semi-final pass immediately adjacent to the final pass and shaped to deliver stock with a. cross-section which.is very slightly elliptical, the major axis being horizontal; means to deliver stock to the semi-final pass with a pronounced elliptical cross-section, the major axis being vertical, and a receiving guide imrnediately adjacent to the semi-final pass and arranged to prevent rotation of the stock about its axis. I

12. The nethod' of producing precision rounds which consists in initially rolling the stock to' a pronounced elliptical cross-section, subjecting the so-rolled stock to two closely-contiguous rolling operations which impart thereto, first, a slightly elliptical cross-section, and then a round crosssection, and, during said last-mentioned rolling operations, preventing rotation of the stock about its axis by guiding action on the pronounced elliptical cross-section thereof; a

JOSEPH M. 0mm.- 

